Where Loyalties Lie
by Skyward Hawk's Flight
Summary: In a forest of abundance, but no peace, cats fight for the sake of pride, without purpose. After moons of traveling, a group of city cats arrives during the conflict, all while trying to find a home for themselves among the trees. Following her visions, White Rose must guide four cats to become what the stars always destined them to be, even if she doesn't understand it herself.
1. Chapter 1 & Allegiances

**it has been. sO LONG SINCE I'VE WRITTEN A WARRIOR FANFIC LIKE WOW.**

 **idk man i finally read Moth Flight's Vision yesterday and while my heart was hurting i thought to myself "you know what clan origin stories are cool and i wanna write one."**

 **so now i have this.**

 **hopefully i have the motivation and energy to finish this one this time-**

* * *

In the cloudless sky, the claw-scratch of a moon glowed ominously among the stars like a cold eye observing the forest below. In between the trees stood a clearing, the wind-smoothed grass broken by a large rock jutting upward, shining silver in the half-light. Shadows flickered all around; through the trees, across the field, carried along the wind, with bright eyes and flashing claws.

But for the moment, there was only silence. Hidden in the silhouette of the jagged rock, a white-furred she-cat gazed up at it with wide, admiring eyes. She was almost like a spirit in the darkness, the brightness of her pelt muted and faded. She sensed nothing of the tension that was present in the air, the hostility rising like flames in the trees surrounding her.

All she felt was… a strange sense of peace. Like this was where she belonged. Where she needed to be.

 _I have to find this place._

But, as quickly as the thought had come, a sudden shriek tore it away from her, and dozens of other cats poured into the clearing like a flooded river. Anger burned in their eyes, claws tore away at fur and flesh, teeth sank into legs and necks as if their opponents were nothing but prey to be slaughtered. The white she-cat was horrified, everything within her screaming at her to run, but she couldn't move her legs. Panic surged through her veins, but it was like she was frozen, forced to watch every spray of blood and hear every cry of pain.

This was not just a warning fight, like the ones she was used to in the city. This was a full scale _war_ , where every death was a victory to someone else.

"…White Rose…!"

The white she-cat's breath became a sharp gasp when she heard her name, a wail sticking in her throat as she was struck with a sickening realization. These cats were not strangers – her family was among these warring cats! She could smell their scents, laced with blood, hear their kind voices turned to agonized screeches. _No… No!_

"…White Rose!"

She suddenly caught sight of one cat's mouth moving, turned to face her, and her heart lurched. Whenever he looked at her, his green eyes were always so soft and loving.

Why did he now look at her with such hard, unforgiving eyes?

Streaking across the open clearing like lightning, he rushed toward her, teeth bared and claws ready to tear out her throat. A shadow crossed her vision, and she screwed her eyes shut.

" _White Rose!_ "

Her eyes snapped back open when she felt the weight of a paw shoving into her side, her amber eyes wild with fear. "No, don't hurt me!"

But, after a moment's pause, everything started to become clear. There was no more battle. The moon was gone, its place taken by the rising sun, sending bright rays of light through the trees and dappling across her white fur. The only sounds that echoed around her were the calming sounds of bird song and rustling leaves.

Looming over her, green eyes gazed into her face once more, but there was once again love and familiarity in their depths. They belonged to a cat that she knew well, almost better than she knew herself. Upon seeing his long gray fur raised along his back in concern, White Rose let out a deep, relieved sigh. She had only been dreaming.

"Forest… Thank the stars." She calmly got to her paws and shook the moss from her fur, giving the worried tom a reassuring nuzzle. "Everything's alright – it was just…"

"The same dream _again_?" Forest tilted his head at her, still looking a bit uneased. "This is the fifth night in a row since we left the city!"

It certainly was odd, White Rose had to admit. Never before had she experienced such a horrible dream, and so often as well. Her waking up like this always left Forest concerned, and that was without telling him how the dream ended… "I know, I'm sorry. I don't mean to worry you like this." She sighed again, flicking the last bit of bedding from their messy nest from her pelt.

Forest gave her an exasperated, but fond, look, brushing his tail against her side. "You don't have to apologize for anything. You don't always have to say sorry when someone else is upset, Rose." He purred at her old bad habit, which White Rose knew he was used to by now. "There's other things we should be worrying ourselves with right now."

"You're right. Sorry." White Rose chuckled at herself when the word left her mouth without second thought. "Has Rain Fall's paw stopped hurting yet?"

Together, White Rose and Forest padded out from the shelter of their makeshift den under a patch of bracken, walking out into a small clearing as they conversed. A few cats milled about the open area, most continuing what they were doing as the pair passed by. "She says that it has, but Blue Jay's keeping an eye on her anyway." Forest explained, glancing around to see who was close by. "You know how Rain Fall is, especially when she feels like others are depending on her. So stubborn."

White Rose nodded in understanding. "Even if it was just a thorn, it could get infected if anything gets into the wound. I'll check on it once we get to the place Flame and Shadow told us about." For a moment, White Rose stood still, feeling the soft breeze blow through her fur as it brushed through the trees. "Forest… Do you think we've finally found a place we can call home?"

Her voice was hopeful, but wistful. Before now, she and the rest of their traveling group had lived in the abandoned section of a Twoleg city. Although they had been close to the dangerous creatures and their monsters, it hadn't been a horrible place to live. For many, it was the only home they'd ever known. But, when the Twolegs started to tear the buildings down to clear the land and make room for new, strange structures, Forest decided to gather as many cats that wanted to leave as he could to find a place where they all could live peacefully. Just recently, two of their cats had gone scouting and came back with news of a prey-filled, lush wooded area that in a way sounded too good to be true. They'd been traveling for moons; the thought of never having to spend another day walking hungry, thirsty, and exhausted still felt like dream.

But Forest gave White Rose that calming look, the one that always made White Rose feel like everything was going to be okay. "I can feel it, Rose. Something about this place… tells me that we've reached the end of our journey." There was an unwavering confidence in his voice. "I know we have."

* * *

 **ALLEGIANCES**

Cats of the Wood

Dawn – golden tabby tom with a white patch on his chest and blue eyes

Dusk – dark brown tabby she-cat with dark markings around her face and yellow eyes

Branch – dark golden tabby tom with green eyes and a long tail, brother of Poppy

Poppy – dark ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes, one scarred, sister of Branch

Claw – large white tom with amber eyes, father of Cream and Peach

Cream – creamy-white she-kit with pale amber eyes, sister of Peach

Peach – pale ginger-and-white she-kit with blue eyes, sister of Cream

Clover – black-and-white she-cat with green eyes and a scarred ear

Speck – small black tom with a white chest and yellow eyes

Falcon – silver tabby tom with sharp golden eyes

Ash – muscular black tom with silvery-blue eyes

Birdsong – pale brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes and white paws

Moss – calico she-cat with a white-tipped black tail and amber eyes

Ice – pure white tom with one blue eye, one amber eye, deaf in one ear

Cloud – long-furred white tom with green eyes, son of Ice

Midnight – dark gray tabby she-cat with white paws and a white belly, blue eyes, daughter of Ice

Fern – black-and-white tom with green eyes, son of Ice

Sun – pale ginger she-cat with darker fur on her ears, face, legs, and tail and pale blue eyes

Willow – long-furred pale gray tabby tom with a white belly and green eyes

The Travelers

White Rose – white she-cat with bright amber eyes and soft fur

Forest – long-furred dark gray tom with a pale underbelly and chest, green eyes

Blue Jay – blue-furred tom with blue eyes, mate of Rain Fall

Rain Fall – silver and white tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes, mate of Blue Jay

Flame – ginger tom with a white patch on his chest and golden eyes

Shadow – sleek black she-cat with amber eyes

Tabitha – brown-and-white she-cat with amber eyes, sister of Tobias

Tobias – brown tabby tom with blue eyes, brother of Tabitha

Snow Storm – speckled silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Moonlight – black-and-silver tom with yellow eyes


	2. Chapter 2

**figured i could get another chapter up so there's a little more content to work off of in terms of what the story is going to be like. c':**

 **maybe i could get at least one review before i write another chapter? i'm having a lot of fun writing this story so far, but knowing that there are people who are interested in it makes it even more fun for me. ;u;**

 **thank you to everyone that's read this so far!**

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"Dusk! _Dusk!_ "

Startled by the sharp sound of the yowls carrying through the trees, a flock of birds fluttered into the open sky, chirping and squawking the whole way. Mice on the forest floor scurried away at the approaching sound of pawsteps. Even a tiny spider crawling through the leaf litter quickened its pace to avoid being crushed under a heavy step. The undergrowth shuddered and rustled for a moment before a striped golden head burst through the ferns, normally clear blue eyes narrowed and full of annoyance.

Shoving his way into the open beneath a large, ancient oak tree, the tom paused and leaned against the trunk. Lifting a paw to wash his face of the leaf dust, he tried scenting the air for what must have been the tenth time. _Nothing but brambles and stale prey scents. I must have chased away everything from here to the cliffs._ Prey that would have made excellent meals for him and his sister, he thought bitterly, if she hadn't decided to show just how childish and naïve she still was by running off and hiding from him like a kit.

"Dusk, if you don't come out here _right now_ …" He growled loudly, his aching paws quickly making his anger spike. "I'm _not_ going to catch food for you tonight! I mean it this time!"

He waited, listening for sounds of movement around him. Still nothing. Tail lashing like an adder ready to strike, the tom called out one last time to the sky above. "Dusk! Come out here right n-"

He found himself cut off as a happy, eager meow echoed from above him to where he stood. "Alright, Dawn! Here – I – _come!_ "

There was the rapid sound of something high up falling through the browning leaves of the oak tree the tom still leaned against, and then he found himself crushed underneath the warm, furry weight of another animal. The breath crushed from his lungs in a shocked, surprised gasp, and as soon as it had happened the weight was gone. And then his sister stood in front of him, her face lowered to where he now lay on the ground, wide yellow eyes gazing into his. "Uh, Dawn? Are you okay?" She cocked her head, a light of laughter dancing in her gaze. "I should've jumped onto you from a lower branch, huh? You didn't break any bones, did you? C'mon big guy, up an at 'em!"

As she nudged his shoulder, Dawn shook her off and got to his paws with a grunt, his chest still aching from impact. "D… Dusk!" When he had regained enough breath to speak, he immediately turned on his sister, baring his teeth at her. "Why did you do that?! You could have killed me – you could have killed yourself from the fall!"

Dusk scoffed at him, rolling her eyes with a smirk. "Aw, you know I've jumped from higher places before. Don't you remember that one time you panicked because I jumped from the tallest of the cliffs but when you met me at the bottom I landed on my feet without a scratch?"

"That's not the point, and don't bring that up!" Being reminded of his sister's unbelievable amount of luck just served to irritate him even more. Dawn sighed, closing his eyes for a moment to calm himself before continuing. "Dusk. We're more than a year old now. I know I said that I would go and live with you when Father wanted to chase you away-"

In the middle of his reprimand, Dusk darted forward and nuzzled her brother with a warm, affectionate purr. "And that's why you're the best brother any cat could ever hope for!"

"-but how can we prove to Father that we can make it on our own if you keep doing things like this?" Dawn urged her to understand, hoping vainly just as he did every lecture before now that it would help stop her kit-like tendencies.

Falling quiet for a moment, Dusk took a step back and glanced up into the trees, watching a bird as it fluttered from branch to branch over their heads. Dawn searched her expression, confused when he found himself unable to read it. "Haven't we made it this far?" The question caught Dawn off-guard, and she turned to him when he remained silent. "We've never gone to sleep hungry. We have friends who would help us out if times get tough – even if I tease them and ask them to play games with me all of the time."

Dawn tried to speak, a small pebble of guilt starting to grow in his belly. "Dusk…"

"Dad lost what I still have: the desire to make other cats smile and stop worrying about everything all the time. He didn't care about anyone else. He didn't even care about us, and I know that you know it too." He opened his mouth again, but the golden tabby found that he _couldn't_ argue against that. "All he cared about was being able to stand on his own. Not relying on anyone else for support. But I don't _want_ to be like that, Dawn. And I don't want you to end up that way either."

The pebble of guilt Dawn felt turned to a heavy stone when he saw the sadness in Dusk's eyes. "You know I'd never want to end up like Father, Dusk." He padded forward, rasping his tongue over her ear apologetically. "You're my best friend. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do with myself. And that's why I worry about you. I just… I don't want you to get hurt."

Dusk purred back at him. "I know, Brother. But believe me, I'm not going to go just throwing myself off of trees and rocks _trying_ to break my neck. Like you said, we're not kits anymore. You can trust me to be serious when it calls for it, y'know?"

Dawn nodded, pride blossoming in his chest at how much his sister had grown. "I know, Dusk."

A sudden, mischievous look crossed the brown tabby's face. "But for now, I think this moment calls for a little race to lighten up all this mushy stuff!" Turning so fast her tail whipped against her brother's muzzle, Dusk glanced at him over her shoulder before charging off further into the woods. "Last one to Claw's den is a one-legged badger!"

Dawn wondered if maybe he should be annoyed again at how quickly her seriousness had faded away, but he could only feel happiness and affection for his sister in his heart. Purring at her challenge, the golden tabby rushed after her, sunlight making his fur shimmer in the shadows. "We'll see about that!"


	3. Chapter 3

**i know i said i'd post up the next chapter after getting a review, but i did get a follow and that made me happy! c':**

 **also i'm just kinda on a roll with writing stuff at the moment. i figured it'd be better to write now while i have this much energy instead of waiting. xP**

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When the sun had started to set, turning the sky into a beautiful mix of orange and blue, Dusk found herself skidding to a halt before a scene that caught even the carefree she-cat off-guard. They'd made it to Claw's den, there was no doubt about that; the tree stump with his kits' clawmarks scored through the bark was always the first thing she noticed. But Peach and Cream were nowhere to be seen tumbling across the leaf-covered ground – and the large, intimidating white tom that was their father was currently pacing around a small group of other cats with a territorial light in his eyes.

Dawn crashed through the bushes behind Dusk a couple heartbeats later, out of breath and huffing, but the dark brown tabby padded toward Claw and the vaguely familiar strangers until she knew she was in earshot. "Claw?" His head turned quickly toward her, along with the other cats he was with. "I don't mean to crash the party, but what in the stars is going on here?"

The tom's white fur bristled on his shoulders until he recognized the two siblings, his tail flicking in a friendly gesture. "Ah, it's just you two." The other cats around him still looked at them suspiciously, but he shook his head at them, stepping forward to meet Dusk and Dawn with an apologetic expression. "Forgive me for causing you concern."

Dawn fell into place at his sister's side, paying no mind to the strangers. "Has something happened?"

A slight growl began to rumble in Claw's throat, his amber eyes glittering in the fading light. "You know that ragtag group of cats that follow the smooth-talking blue-eyed tom and his mate?" He waited for Dusk and Dawn to nod before continuing. "Well, they're trying to hunt on our favorite hunting grounds again, that field beside the cliffs. We're going to chase them off."

Dawn frowned at the idea of fighting, but Dusk's eyes grew wide with excitement. "You're going to fight them?" Her tail lashed eagerly. "Let me come too! I wanna help you guys!"

Once she managed to get a better look at the other cats in the clearing, their names started to surface in Dusk's mind, even though she had only met them a few times in the past. Clover stood beside the tree stump, her tail twitching in anticipation, with Falcon close by, watching everyone with his usual sharp gaze. Although small and not nearly as frightening as Claw appeared to be, Speck also sat a few tail-lengths away, his claws constantly sheathing and unsheathing into the soil under his paws.

"Dusk, we shouldn't get wrapped up in this." Dawn's fretful mew didn't surprise the tabby. "Let's just go back to our den. Or maybe we could watch Peach and Cream for Claw while they take care of everything. Alright?"

"I swear, you have the heart of a mouse!" Dusk gave Dawn a challenging look, trying to get him to change his mind. "We need to send a message to these intruders that they can't just waltz into our favorite hunting grounds whenever they want! But you know what, sure, you can go ahead and stay with the other kittens. Meanwhile, I'll go ahead and get the greatest adrenaline rush of my life _and_ prove that we're not cats to be messed with."

Dawn fell silent, and Dusk knew, with a surge of triumph, that he was measuring his options. "I'm not going to let you fight them without me." He sighed. "So I guess I'm coming with you too."

Claw looked between both of them, amused. "So, you're ready to take part in your first fight now, eh? You've both grown up fast, I've got to say."

"So? When are we going?" Dusk kneaded her paws against the ground, already set to go.

"Once Poppy gets here to keep an eye on my kits, we're going to teach those intruders a lesson about putting their paws on our land."

* * *

The sunlight was bright and fresh and warm against White Rose's fur. Watching the sunrise, the way the colors of the sky changed from black to orange, pink, and blue like a flower blossoming over the horizon, would never grow old to her. If anything, the older she became, the more she appreciated its beauty.

Standing all alone at the crest of the hill, White Rose's amber eyes remained locked on the pale circle of the sun as it crossed the sky. No trees obstructed the view, not even a bird broke the stillness with its fluttering wings.

 _Nothing could ever be as perfect as this…_

She had to get Forest. She glanced over her shoulder, starting to call out to him with a warmhearted purr, only to stop midway through.

On the other side of the sky, the moon had started to rise as well. The blackness of the night followed after it, the faintest flecks of stars even visible among the darkness.

White Rose was stunned. _W… What? But the sun…_

She whipped back around, and her eyes weren't deceiving her. On both sides of the hill, the sun and the moon were taking their places high above the land, light and dark spreading from their presence. But, for some strange reason White Rose herself didn't even understand, she could tell that they weren't in conflict. The sunlight did not try to chase away the star-speckled sky, and the shadows of the night weren't keeping the light at bay.

"They're in perfect harmony…" White Rose's murmured to herself in realization, watching the impossibility in awe.

By now, White Rose knew that she was dreaming. But she continued to stare, still as a cat made of stone, until Forest's urgent mew brushed her ear fur.

"Something's happening!" The vision fading, White Rose woke up drowsily, snug in the roots of the tree she and Forest had decided to sleep in for the night. "We need everyone up, now!"

Taking a minute to shake out her soft fur, White Rose shrugged off the last of her dream and stood. "I'm awake, Forest." She assured him, following as he bounded out of the nest. " _What's_ happening? Where is everyone?"

"In the clearing up ahead." Weaving around the trunk of a young maple tree, Forest hurried toward the clearing with purpose in his step. "Shadow was exploring the rest of this patch of woods by herself and she came back to tell us that she heard the sounds of fighting around some nearby cliffs."

"Fighting?" Now White Rose was alarmed. "You mean other cats live here?"

Forest's expression was grim. "There were hisses and cries of pain, so that's exactly what we think."

Reaching the others in their group, White Rose felt a slight sense of relief that everyone appeared to be accounted for. "So what's the plan, Forest?" Blue Jay addressed the gray-furred tom as soon as he spotted him, blue eyes glowing from the moon's light.

Under the darkness of the trees and undergrowth, Shadow's jet-black pelt was barely visible, only faintly outlined with silver light. Beside her, however, Flame's bright ginger fur practically glowed like his namesake. "Shadow said that some of the cats were saying things to each other, calling each other names." His claws dug into the ground as he spoke; White Rose guessed that he must have grown anxious upon hearing that Shadow could have potentially been in danger. "It seems that one group was saying that the other was intruding upon their land."

"How are they going to react when they see us, then?" Now Rain Fall spoke up, her tail twitching. "I'm sure we could give them a good fight, but we've been traveling constantly for moons. We're all exhausted. There's no way we could keep up."

Forest turned his gaze away from everyone, sitting back on his haunches and twitching his ears. Any fretful mewing from the others faded to silence; Forest had been the cleverest cat in the city when they lived there, and if there was one thing they could be sure of, it was that he had already been thinking up a plan before anyone else had ever spoken.

"So we're not going to fight them." Forest murmured, raising his voice so the others could hear. "You're right, trying to keep up would be practically impossible. But we can use this opportunity to our advantage right now."

Now, everyone was listening intently. "If this is a conflict they've been having for a long time, if we take their side, we'll show these cats that we don't want to cause them grief. That we could even be allies to them. We all know exactly what it's like to have those who wish to harm us invading our home. And if we can prove that to them, and that we only have good intentions, we'll finally have the new home we've been looking for."

Being Forest's oldest friend, Blue Jay was the first to nod, smirking. "Right as always, Forest. Besides, my paws have been itching for a good fight since we got out of the city."

Soon, mews of agreement filled the clearing from almost everybody. Ever the silent one among them, Shadow gave a quick, but firm, nod.

"We should go now, while the moon is still high in the sky." White Rose urged. "If we try to attack under the cover of darkness, they might become suspicious of us as well."

Forest grinned back at her, flicking his tail to everyone else to gather their attention. "That we should. Let's go, everyone! Our solace is finally on the horizon!"

Darting into the trees, White Rose followed after the gray-furred tom, hearing the pawsteps of everyone else behind them as they followed. A rush of energy surged through her at the thought of being able to call another place "home" after what felt like lifetimes of uncertainty.

Once they reached the edge of the forest, the ground sloped downward toward what White Rose realized must have been the field that Shadow had come across during her scouting. Among the waves of grass rippling in the breeze, cats rolled around across the field in bundles of claws and fur, screeching and hissing in the heat of battle. Forest charged down the hill without a second thought. "Now!"

Surging toward the fighting with the force of a rain-swollen river, everyone followed with unsheathed claws and bared fangs. White Rose was ready to throw herself into the fighting as well until a sudden thought struck her. This place felt familiar. But how?

 _How could it feel familiar?_

And then she realized. It was an insane thought, more crazy than she could have ever thought possible, but she did know this place.

It was the exact hill she had been standing on in her dream.


	4. Chapter 4

**js, i'm posting this up very late at night, so there might be mistakes i haven't caught yet. :'D but anyway, i'm going to try to reply to every review i get ever time i post up a new chapter so here we go!**

 **Musicromo - thanks a bunch! i hope you continue to stick around for more c':**

 **Foxpool - it means a lot to me that you think so! ;w; especially since it's been so long since i've last written a warriors fic, i feel so rusty omg. but thank you and i hope that you stick around and enjoy this next chapter!**

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Forest did not flinch away from the spattering of blood across the grass or the sounds of pained screeches ringing in his ears. He did not back down as he was rushed by a white-furred tom with fire in his eyes and a snarl ripping from his throat, meeting him with tooth and nail at the bottom of the slope.

Fighting was something that Forest knew well; whether it was deciding who was going to be eating a fresh mouse instead of crowfood, or fending your nest off from strangers in the darkness of the alleyways, fighting had been his way of life in the city. It was for everyone there, although grouping together over similarities instead clashing over differences definitely made life easier.

Normally, Forest would have wanted to settle this dispute with words. _But if fighting these cats off gets us one step closer to our new home, I would gladly face them a dozen times!_ A flame of determination burned in his chest at the thought.

As he and his friends streaked across the battlefield, confusion quickly took hold of both opposing sides, some cats even ceasing their fighting altogether to try and figure out what was going on. A large white tom shoved a long-furred gray tabby out of his line of sight to watch the group of city cats approach, his amber eyes narrowed and burning. " _More_ intruders?!" The fury in his growling voice made Forest skid to a halt, quickly trying to diffuse the situation.

"Do not take our actions the wrong way!" He called out to him, giving him an even look from clear green eyes. "We heard about what was happening and wish to help you!"

Already, many of his friends had taken to the fray, slashing and biting alongside the white tom's companions. He still looked distrusting of them, but upon seeing how fiercely they were attacking the intruders, he gave Forest a curt nod. "Don't think that this changes the fact that you're still strangers to us. But, for now, we fight together!"

He then turned and charged away to fight a muscular jet-black tom, who then called something out to another cat close by. An order, perhaps? _Maybe he's the leader of the intruders._ Forest didn't dwell on the thought, however, and quickly whipped around to strike at a calico she-cat that attempted to leap at him while he was distracted. Lashing his claws out at her muzzle, she let out a hiss of pain as his attack connected, sending crimson droplets raining onto the grass below.

She gritted her teeth and turned up to face him with piercing amber eyes, darting forward with open claws despite the still bleeding wound across her nose. "You cowards!" She snarled, managing to hit the gray-furred tom with a blow to his shoulder. "Hiding behind Claw and his gang so you don't have to fight them!"

"Does this forest seem like a very peaceful one to you?" Forest snapped back, shoving her off and starting to circle her. "Making friends seems to be the way to go right now!"

The struggled for a couple of heartbeats longer, Forest admittedly surprised at what an even opponent she was. She caught his ear with one swipe, leaving fresh nicks that trailed deep red stains down his cheek, making him fall back with a gasp. _I think it's about time this fight ended_. Darting forward with as much speed as he could muster, Forest latched onto the calico's tail with strong jaws, crunching down onto her tailbone.

Her reaction was immediate, and her shriek of agony split through the sound of the battle easily. "Let go, _let go!_ " She begged, and in a moment of mercy, Forest relented, releasing her and letting her turn around to flee.

She wasn't the one cat turning tail and running. A quick glance around the field was enough for Forest to see that most of the intruders had started to leave, the last few being that black-furred tom from earlier, a white tom with one blue and one green eye, and a gentle looking pale brown tabby. "Get to safety, everyone!" The jet black tom yowled the order to his group with a commanding, calm voice. "This fight is lost! Help anyone who's struggling to walk and head back to camp!"

Beside him, the brown tabby brushed her shoulder against his. "That means you too, Ash. Please, you need to stay off that injured leg as much as possible."

Upon close inspection, Forest noticed a stream of blood oozing from a bite wound on one of his front legs. He bared his teeth in a frustrated growl. "Foxdung… Ice, make sure that everyone makes it back safely. I'm counting on you."

The white tom nodded. "Of course, Ash. Come on, we have to go."

He let Ash and his brown tabby companion escape first, giving the cats in the field one last cold glare before melting into the shadows of the nearby patch of forest himself. Claw let them go without pursuing them, as did everyone else, but continued to watch them until they were out of sight. White Rose rushed up to Forest as soon as the hostility of the battle faded away, the gray-furred tom turning to face her as soon as he caught wind of her sweet scent. "Forest, you're hurt." Her amber eyes glittered with worry, and she started to lick at his shoulder wound without another word.

He purred at her concern, running his tail along her back in a calming gesture. "Don't worry about it, Rose, I'm-"

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Claw's deep, loud meow cut him off suddenly, the large white tom now looming over him with an unreadable expression, "perhaps you can explain to us who exactly you are and why you decided to help us?"

Across the field, Blue Jay pulled away from Rain Fall's careful examination of his wounds, giving Claw a threatening glare. Forest shook his head at him, not wanting to start a fight. "It's alright, Blue Jay. Claw has the right to be suspicious of us." He met the larger tom's gaze evenly, White Rose staying by his side and giving him calming support. "My name is Forest. I know that, right now, we're strangers to you. Only a few days ago were we traveling across unfamiliar lands for moons on end, looking for a new place to call home. We were chased away from our home by intruders that we couldn't fight off. When one of our cats came and told me that there was another group of cats here experiencing the same thing, we knew we couldn't stand by and watch it happen without trying to help."

Listening to his explanation, Claw twitched his whiskers. "Did you think that we couldn't handle the situation ourselves?"

"We weren't thinking that at all." Forest replied smoothly. "It was a question of morals, not of doubt. Our experience with invaders was recent, and it caused us a great deal of grief. We wouldn't want for any cat to feel the same way we have over these last couple of moons."

This finally seemed to make Claw soften up a little bit, but as he opened his mouth to reply another cat behind him spoke up. "Aw, lighten up, you old badger!" A dark brown tabby appeared from behind him, giving him a light shove with her shoulder. There was a bloodied scratch across her cheek, but she didn't show any signs of it bothering her, if the brightness in her yellow eyes was any indication. "Can't you see that they meant well? I think you can stop interrogating these poor souls now."

Surprisingly, Claw didn't seem to know how to respond. "You can't forget that they're intruding as well, you know!" He reminded her firmly. "Your heart is still pure and innocent. What if one of these cats ends up turning on us while our backs are turned?"

"Please, Claw." Another young cat dared to speak against the intimidating tom, a golden tabby with a thick pelt and intelligent blue eyes. "We're all tired and injured from the fight. For now, let's just put our differences aside and trust them. They did help us out quite a lot, after all."

White Rose stood beside Forest confidently, meeting Claw's amber gaze with her own. "I have decent knowledge of herbs and how to treat wounds." She murmured, her eyes flicking to the many cats lying along the field still licking their scratches. "May I please aid your cats as well?"

After a moment's pause, Claw nodded curtly. "You may." As soon as the words left him, White Rose hurried off, ready as always to help those who needed it. "Go ahead and see to your cats. We'll talk more once everyone has been treated."

"Thank you, Claw." Forest dipped his head politely to the white tom before he padded away to talk to a black-and-white she-cat sitting by herself a few tail-lengths from them. Turning to spot White Rose examining Tabitha and Tobias for injuries, Forest hurried over to join her, raising one brow when he noticed the dark tabby and golden tabby from earlier also heading the same way.

"…how far away did you all come from?" Forest overheard the tabby she-cat eagerly asking White Rose, the golden tabby standing beside her with a cautious expression on his face. "What's your name?"

Still calmly focused on searching Tabitha's pelt, the white-furred she-cat responded without looking up. "My name is White Rose." She flicked her tail in greeting as Forest approached, continuing her work. "We've come many a day's journey away from here, from a place where there isn't nearly as many trees and open fields as there are here."

"Wow, really?" The young tabby she-cat sounded surprised. "There are places like that? How did you even manage to live there?"

The golden tabby started to protest, as if worried by his sister's blunt wording, but White Rose remained unfazed. "It was hard. There was a lot of fighting, until Forest united us together." The two young cats glanced over at Forest as she spoke, the gray-furred tom feeling a hint of pride at the glimmer of awe in the dark tabby's gaze. "After that, we made it by until we were forced from our home a few moons ago."

"So, now that you've hit us with a barrage of questions, how about I ask you one?" Forest purred, interested in knowing more about these promising young cats. "What are your names?"

"I'm Dusk!" The she-cat didn't waste a second in introducing herself, yellow eyes sparkling. "And this is my brother-"

"Dawn, my name is Dawn." The tom finished the greeting for her, dipping his head in a respectful manner. "And yes, we are siblings. Born from the same litter."

Dusk happily rubbed her muzzle along his cheek, purring. "And we've always looked out for each other, together!"

Forest found himself smiling at the scene, easily seeing the bond that the brother and sister shared with each other instantly. He glanced over at White Rose, his smile fading when he took note of the strange look on her face. Her amber eyes were wide, stunned, as if she had just been struck across the face. "Dawn… and Dusk?" Her mew was faint, as if she was lost in thought.

Dawn noticed her reaction as well, frowning. "Yes… Is there something wrong, miss White Rose?"

Forest interrupted before he could ask more, stepping between them. "They're just very unique names, that's all." He nudged White Rose to her paws, a slight look of confusion on her face. "I'm just going to have a moment with White Rose right now, alright? We need to talk about where we're going to nest tonight."

He could still feel the two siblings' eyes on them as they stepped away, White Rose stopping Forest with tail flick to his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Why did you respond so strangely to their names?" Forest asked, White Rose's gaze falling to the ground around her paws. "We don't want to appear as suspicious to them, and I don't think doing things like that are going to help us."

White Rose remained silent. She sighed, a sigh that told Forest that something was bothering her. "I had another dream, Forest."

"A dream?" Forest was used to White Rose having odd dreams by now; ever since they'd met as six moon old kits in the city, she was always waking up in the middle of the night for some reason or another. Sometimes, she told him about them immediately after opening her eyes, but more recently she had been doing that less and less. Forest just figured maybe she wasn't having them as much anymore. "What do you mean? What does that have to do with Dawn and Dusk?"

She met his gaze, eyes full of confusion and concern. "I was standing on a hill watching the sunrise. At first, I thought it was real, so I turned around to try and call you over to see the sun rise too. But in the sky on the other side of the hill, the moon was starting to rise as well." The tone of her voice grew soft, as if she was experiencing the dream all over again. "But they weren't competing for their space in the sky – they were in harmony with each other. Completely peaceful. Morning and night…"

Her gaze shifted, and as Forest followed it he realized she was staring at the two siblings, talking to each other fox-lengths away from them. "Dawn and dusk."

Forest reached out to touch White Rose's ear with his nose, trying to lighten the mood. "Are you sure it couldn't just be a coincidence? Dreams are strange things; it's not like we control what we dream about."

"Forest, I just… I feel like it has to mean something!" Forest was taken aback with how urgent she sounded. "What… What if… something _wanted_ us to meet Dawn and Dusk today?"

"Something that you think was speaking to you through dreams?" Forest remained skeptical, feeling a stab of guilt when White Rose's ears tilted back at his tone. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I've never heard of anything like that before. I mean, you've had a lot of really weird dreams in the past. Maybe this was just another one of those dreams."

He tried to lean forward to give White Rose a quick lick on the forehead, but she shied away, averting her gaze. "I still have to go check on Tobias." Was all she mewed before hurrying away, her tail so low to the ground it brushed back the blades of grass in her wake. Forest could only stare after her before sighing and padding away to talk to Claw about places where his group could rest for the night.

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 **i haven't been on FF in a long time, so maybe this is a problem everyone else is used to, but has anyone else had problems with their updated fanfics not appearing on the first page? owo;**

 **i swear this has happened for like. the third time now.**

 **i'm sorry if you're following the story and keep getting notifications from me trying to post this chapter up. ;w;**


	5. Chapter 5

**just a quick chapter, since this is my last day of spring break (and therefore the last of my free time-). ;w;**

 **i'll still be writing more chapters, but they might start to come a little more slowly now than they have been.**

 **but regardless, i hope you enjoy!**

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After a battle, the bloodshed, anger and suffering always leads to two different outcomes. Those who get to celebrate, relishing in the glory of victory, spare no thought to the ones they harmed on the other side. They gain, they grow more confident, and they grow stronger from the experience together, both in skill and in their bond to each other.

 _So_ , Ash mused the following day, shifting his wounded leg away from his mate's gentle tongue with a flinch, _we are left in the settling dust as the ones who have lost this time._

They had at least made it back to their home without being pursued by the enemy, finding familiar shelter in the caves of the cliffs where they could rest and recover peacefully. But as Ash watched his cats move to and from each cave, checking on their loved ones and making sure their injuries didn't get worse, he could see the way their shoulders slumped and their tails trailed in the dust. As the one they turned to for leadership, the black-furred tom felt a stab of guilt every time. He wanted to believe there was something he could have done differently, but how could anyone account for the sudden appearance of a group of strangers assisting the other side?

"Ash, I can't clean your leg if you move away every time." His mate's soft, but firm mew pushed through his thoughts, and glanced up at her once more. "If everyone else sees you moping like this, they're just going to feel even worse."

Her words were harsh, but Ash knew there was truth to him, and he sighed only once before moving into a more comfortable position in their nest. "You're right, Birdsong." He agreed, his gaze shifting to watch his cats outside as they spoke to each other and shared tongues. "I only wish that obtaining a reliable hunting ground for the coming leafbare wasn't so difficult for us." The whole area of the cliffs gave them ample protection from the elements, but food was more of a scarcity, always leading them to search elsewhere.

Birdsong gave Ash's leg a soothing lick. "Whatever happens, I have faith that we'll be able to pull through it." She murmured, eyes steady. "You've always given everything you have to make sure we _all_ survive, no matter the cost. Not many others would give the same promise."

 _Would Claw?_ Ash had always considered him to be the one that tied the forest cats together, although he didn't seem much the type to enjoy power over other cats. Then the tom who led the strangers into battle against them, the clever gray-furred tom with confident green eyes, came to mind. _Would he do anything to keep his cats safe?_

"How could I call any cat here my friend if I didn't?" Ash watched the outside fondly as Ice was met by his three kits as soon as he walked out of his den, eagerly asking him to go hunting with them as they did every afternoon. "Let alone feel like I deserved to be called your leader at all?"

Purring, Birdsong leaned down to press her muzzle to his, blue eyes full of warmth. "That's exactly why I love you so much." She twined her tail with his for a moment before pulling away. "I'm going to go with Moss to see if we can find something to help quicken the healing of your wound. I told her I could go by myself so that she could rest more, but she insisted on it."

"As determined as always to help, I see." Ash chuckled. "I'd best go talk to Ice before he goes on his family hunt. See what information he's gotten on those newcomers who took Claw's side in the fight."

"Just try not to stay on your leg too much. And no sneaking out of camp to hunt with Ice!" Birdsong warned him with a lighthearted gleam in her eyes before walking out of the den.

Grunting at the stinging sensation in his leg as he stood, Ash gingerly tested how much weight he could put on his left paw before following, catching a few mews of greeting from the cats in the clearing as he padded toward his old friend. "Ice!" He called out to him, flicking his tail in a friendly gesture. "May I talk to you before you set out for the afternoon?"

Turning to him at the sound of his voice, Ice nodded briskly, glancing back at his kits for a moment. "You all go ahead and wait by the entrance to the clearing. I'll join you in a moment." Waiting until they hurried away together, Ice stepped up to meet Ash halfway. "Is everything alright? Is your leg still bothering you?"

"Yes and yes." Ash replied, grimacing at his still painful wound. "Birdsong and Moss are going to try and find something for it. I just wanted to ask you if you found out anything about those strangers that suddenly appeared during the fight last night."

Twitching his ears, Ice nodded slightly. "I went out this morning to see if I could learn anything by watching them, and I did hear some things." His eyes narrowed. "It turns out that they came from a 'city', which sounded like a grouping of Twoleg dwellings, from the way they explained it to Claw and the other forest cats. The gray tom that was shouting orders to them during the battle is named Forest, and he's their leader, as we suspected. And they've apparently been trying to find a new home because they were chased from their old one."

Ash's ears pricked up in interest. "They were chased away? By other cats?"

But Ice shook his head. "No, the Twolegs destroyed the part of the city where they lived. Once they explained themselves to Claw, he told them that they could settle themselves in this area of the forest where no other cats were already living!"

"What?" Ash's hackles raised in anger and disbelief. "Claw will chase us away when we try to hunt in the fields but he gives permission for a group of cats he only met last night to live in the same forest that he does? That tom, Forest, must be a more of a sly fox than we gave him credit for."

Ice snorted. "We've dealt with our fair share of fox-hearts in these woods. Forest might think he's won right now, but soon enough he'll see that we never back down when we've been wronged like this."

"I couldn't agree more, my friend." Ash growled, flexing his claws into the hard ground. "We'll get our justice, and when we do, Forest and his friends will understand exactly what they've brought upon themselves."


	6. Chapter 6

**sorry for this taking some time, now that my classes started back up i've been hit with assignment after assignment ;w;**

 **but here it is! thank you to all the people who have been interested in this so far, it really means a lot to me! c':**

 **if it's not too much to ask, could i get maybe a couple of reviews before the next chapter? ;u; i'll post it up regardless, but it really makes me happy to see what people have to say about certain characters/scenes when i write fanfics. it's okay if you don't leave one though!**

 **anyway, here's chapter 6! things will start to pick up from here, and White Rose will be the primary point of view for the rest of the fic. i thought that every main character having their own chapter would make for an interesting introduction for all of them, but i am thinking about writing a companion piece to this that describes the pasts of other characters in this fic as well! let me know if you guys would be interested in that! owo**

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White Rose stood against the burning light of the morning sun as it rose, letting it outline her snowy fur to the point she looked more like a star than a cat. "It's hard to believe that we're already on the edge of leafbare." She murmured, closing her eyes as a breeze feathered softly through her thick fur.

Beside her, Forest moved closer to her until their fur started to touch, all the shades of the forest flickering in his eyes. "And yet this stone is warmer underpaw than anything we ever found in the city." He purred, flicking his ears at the sound of Blue Jay and Rain Fall's pawsteps crackling the leaves close by. "We couldn't have hoped for anything better than this."

In the days since the battle, after White Rose had deemed anyone who was injured safe to walk around and explore, Forest ordered everyone to get into small groups to get familiar with the part of the woods they had been given to live in. Claw had seemed to warm up to them some after being given more time to show they had no harmful intentions, while his younger companions, Dawn and Dusk, continued to show complete and utter curiosity about their journey and the places they had seen. All the while, White Rose couldn't push the memory of her dream from her mind, but had grown hesitant to confide in Forest any more about it. He'd always listened to her when she told him about her dreams in the past, but she had begun to question how seriously he had taken them back then now as well.

"Blue Jay, Rain Fall!" Forest's sudden yowl pulled her from her thoughts, making her attention jerk toward the trees Forest was currently watching. "Don't tell me you two got stuck in some brambles, or something."

Leaping from the raised stone he and White Rose had been resting on, Forest trotted into the shadows of the trees' autumn leaves, but the white-furred she-cat didn't follow him right away. She took the moment of silence to retreat into her mind once more, feeling the smooth surface of the rock beneath her paws. This wasn't the massive, jagged boulder from her dreams; although her dream had taken place at night, White Rose could also tell that it didn't reflect light the same way. Part of her had hoped that, by going along with one of the exploring groups Forest had organized, that she would be able to find it once and for all. So far, however, she'd had no luck. She tilted her ears back slightly in disappointment.

Forest reappeared a moment later, Blue Jay and Rain Fall trailing along at his heels with a look of sheepishness on their faces. "Can you believe I caught them chasing each other through the fallen leaves like two moony six-moon old kits?" Forest teased them with a light-hearted gleam in his eye.

Blue Jay caught up to his friend and gave him a playful shove, causing him to stumble. "C'mon, Forest. You and White Rose have barely been apart since we left the city!" He let out a 'mrrow' of laughter. "When are both of you finally going to admit to us that you're mates already?"

White Rose's ears grew hot with embarrassment. "Blue Jay!" She jumped off the stone to join them on the ground below, glaring at him. "Don't you think that we've had more important things to worry about? If you have time to gossip about me and Forest, why don't you use that time to find hunting spots and water sources?"

Blue Jay and Rain Fall gave each other an amused look that made White Rose want to cuff both of them over their ears. "We'll give you guys your alone time, don't worry." Rain Fall purred, tracing her tail along Blue Jay's flank as she started toward another part of the woods. "Come on, dear. Maybe we'll find something useful over this way."

"On my way, love." Blue Jay gave them both one last smirk before padding after her, White Rose glaring at them until they disappeared from sight.

White Rose felt Forest's muzzle press against her ear, causing her hackles to lower slightly. "Don't mind Blue Jay, Rose. You know he only teases us because he sees us like siblings to him." His purr was full of warmth.

"I know that he thinks of you as the brother he never had." White Rose sighed, shaking her head in exasperated fondness for the blue-furred tom. "But I didn't realize that he would tease me like I'm his sister as well."

"Surely you're used to it by now?" Forest chuckled, beckoning for White Rose to follow him as they began to pad in the opposite direction Blue Jay and Rain Fall had taken. "I'm sure that you and Rain Fall have taken jabs at each other, as close as you two are."

Deciding to be playful, White Rose gave Forest a look from sparkling amber eyes. "Is that a tone of jealousy I hear in your voice, Forest?"

Narrowing his eyes at her, Forest flicked his tail against her flank. "Are you looking for a fight, White Rose?"

Pausing for a moment, White Rose touched noses with Forest before suddenly dashing away, glancing at him over her shoulder with a purr. All of the awkwardness that had come between them after the discussion of her dream had seemed to melt away like ice in the newleaf sun. "How can you fight me if you can't even catch me, Forest?" She called back to him before turning her attention to the path in front of them.

After a couple of heartbeats of racing, White Rose could hear Forest's thundering pawsteps gradually catching up behind her, memories of chasing each other through the alleyways as kits warming White Rose's heart. "What was that you said about not being able to catch you?" Forest returned, a challenging tone in his voice.

White Rose tried to speed up, feeling laughter bubbling in her chest like a spring, but Forest's weight landed on top of her suddenly in a lightning-quick pounce. White Rose gasped in surprise, squirming underneath him in an attempt to get free, Forest's paws planting themselves firmly on the ground around her. "You're not going anywhere, Rose. Face defeat." His breath warmed her ear fur.

Trying to shake him off, White Rose tried to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry Forest, what was that?" She mewed back innocently. "I'm the smartest cat in the whole forest and get the first bite of fresh-kill when we get back to camp?"

She could feel Forest's purr rumble against her back. Letting out a squeak as White Rose found herself flipped over suddenly, she felt her ears burn once again as she was face to face with Forest as he stood over her. "You don't have to make me chase you through the forest to hear a compliment from me, you know." He leaned in close, pressing his cheek against hers. "I've always thought that you were the kindest, most intelligent cat I'd ever met. And don't even get me started on how beautiful you are."

White Rose's heart fluttered like a baby bird against her ribcage, and for a moment she wondered if it would break free and soar away. She couldn't deny that she'd been questioning her feelings for Forest for a long time, always wondering if she felt something more than just close friendship. He had been her best friend since they were kits… He'd always been there for her. But…

White Rose swallowed. "I'm still hurt that you dismissed how concerned I've been about my dreams so easily." She admitted, all hesitance she'd felt at bringing the subject back up forgotten. "I've always admired your bravery, and how quick-witted you are. But whatever we think of each other, how close can we be if we can't confide in each other about everything?"

Forest slowly moved his muzzle away, his green eyes dark with guilt. "I didn't realize that it pained you that much." His mew was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Rose. You can always talk to me, about anything. No matter what it is."

White Rose averted her gaze for a moment before looking back. "Do you promise?"

"Swear by the stars." Forest nodded, letting White Rose go and lifting his weight so she could stand. "Now, how about we figure out where we're at before we do anything else?"

White Rose shook the pieces of dried leaf and grass from her fur. Glancing around, White Rose noticed that they appeared to be in a nicely sheltered space between the trees, a few scattered rocks encircling the edges along with some bramble and bracken bushes. "Good thing we didn't run into any of those." White Rose pointed at the prickly undergrowth with her tail.

"That definitely would have been embarrassing to explain to the others." Forest agreed with a chuckle. "You know… this place seems to be really… well-defended."

Able to follow his train of thought quite easily, White Rose stood beside him and began to pick out places that would make for comfortable dens. "With some fortifying here and there, this could be a better camp than the one we made at the edge of the woods."

"Exactly." Forest mewed, his eyes shining. "I knew it. I knew we'd find a place for us!"

White Rose found Forest's joy contagious, and started purring as well. She could already imagine everyone busying about their new camp, carrying prey and sharing tongues. They could comfortably live out the rest of their lives here, even when they grew old… she could even see kits tumbling through the leaves, carrying on their legacy underneath the shade bountiful forest. For some reason White Rose didn't understand, she almost found herself choked up. "Yes." She breathed, closing her eyes and letting the dappled sunlight warm her fur.

" _White Rooooooooooooooose!_ "

Eyes snapping back open at the sound of a voice quickly growing closer, White Rose cried out as she once again found herself shoved against the ground by a furry weight. She recognized the scent that surrounded her before she saw her face. "Dusk!" White Rose gasped, slightly annoyed that she had been caught off guard so easily by the younger she-cat.

As she expected, Dawn skidded into the clearing after her, panting. "Dusk, you can't go off charging at everyone you see that you know! What if they mistake you for a fox, or for someone hostile?"

"Aw, c'mon Dawn, I was excited!" Letting White Rose get to her feet once again, Dusk padded up to her brother and huffed at him. "Don't tell me you weren't excited too, because I know you were!"

"Dawn! Dusk!" Forest's eyes were wide, also surprised by the appearance of the two siblings. "What are you two doing around here?"

Dawn gave White Rose a sheepish look. "W-we didn't mean to startle you, I apologize for my sister's rashness." Dusk looked like she wanted to argue, but fell silent as Dawn narrowed his eyes at her. "We smelled your scents close by while we were hunting and wanted to see if we could find you guys."

"And _I_ won!" Dusk puffed out her chest fur, proudly, making White Rose chuckle at Dawn's expression.

"It wasn't a contest!" She caught him murmuring under his breath before continuing. "So, what're you doing in this part of the woods?"

Forest padded closer, starting to explain while White Rose licked a piece of leaf from her shoulder. "Now that most of us are well enough to be up and walking around after that fight, we decided it would be a good idea to get a better feel for the forest. So I decided to organize some parties to explore the area. Blue Jay and Rain Fall are out here somewhere as well, they were travelling with us for a little while."

Dawn nodded in understanding, while Dusk suddenly bounced toward them. "Oh, oh! I know the deepest parts of the woods like the back of my paw! If you need to know where some good hunting spots are, or anything like that, I can show you where to look!"

White Rose glanced over at Dawn, and he nodded. "It's true. Dusk's memory for navigation is quite amazing, honestly."

"Well, thank you, Dusk." Forest dipped his head gratefully. "Actually, that would be fantastic!"

As Dusk hurried over to Forest and started chattering about what she knew, White Rose padded up to Dawn with a smile. "Both of you have been very kind to us. It means a lot to us, and I hope you know that."

"Please, don't worry about it." Dawn insisted, always looking more mature than White Rose expected for his young age. "Dusk and I were living on our own for a while, until we started to get to know the other cats in the forest. It was hard, and we wouldn't want any of you to suffer during the leafbare from not knowing were the good hunting grounds were. Although, I imagine Claw wasn't very keen on letting you go to every part of the woods."

He wasn't wrong; Claw's face and tone had been solid as stone when he told them where they could stay. "Regardless, we're grateful for the help." White Rose purred.

"White Rose!" Forest called over to her, curling his tail. "Are you ready to explore some more? We'll come back to this place later, once we've gathered everyone back at camp again."

"I told Forest about a ton of good places to find prey!" Dusk told White Rose eagerly. "If you need to know where to find something or how to get to a certain place, just say the word!"

A sudden thought occurred to White Rose at her words, causing a thrill of excitement to travel through her. What if… What if she told Dusk about the rock from her dream? Would she know where to find it, if it really existed? "Go on ahead, Forest, I'll catch up in a moment. I want to ask Dusk about something."

Forest gave her a questioning look for a moment, then nodded, disappearing into the shadows of the woods. Dusk bounded up to White Rose, eyes bright. "What's up? Gotta question for me?"

"Do…" White Rose tried to figure out how to word her request without sounding strange, or crazy, to either of them. "Do you know where to find a clearing between the trees with a large, jagged boulder in the center? One that slightly reflects the moon when it's high in the sky?"

She almost winced, thinking that she made her wording too specific, but Dawn and Dusk didn't seem to be thinking about that. In a sudden turn, both of their shoulders seemed to slump, their eyes dulling. "W…" Dawn spoke up, his voice quiet. "Where did you learn of this place?"

"Is there… Is there something wrong?" White Rose looked between the two of them, concern prickling her pelt.

"I can't take you there." Dusk's mew was suddenly heavy, eyes dark. "I'm sorry. But I can't."

"B-but… I don't understand." White Rose stared at them, becoming desperate at the implication that the stone really _was_ real. "So it exists? And you know of it? Please, I have to find this place! I beg you!"

Despite the strength of the pull White Rose felt to the strange stone, she still had no idea why she felt it. What _was_ it about the mysterious location of her dream that made her so sure she had to see it with her own eyes? To feel the stone against her paws, against her muzzle? _Why can't I stop thinking about it? What is it that my dreams are trying to tell me? What is it?_ She didn't know who she was directing her questions toward anymore, all she wanted was for her dreams to finally make sense!

"No, I can't!" Dusk's mew cracked. "I'm sorry!"

Dawn moved closer to his sister, pressing his shoulder heavily against hers. They seemed to be lost in their own world, Dawn murmuring comforting words to Dusk while the haunted look in her eyes remained. White Rose backed away. _What did I do?_ Guilt burned in her stomach.

"I-I… I'm sorry. I'll go." White Rose turned away, unsure if they even noticed her apology, hurrying after Forest into the trees. But she couldn't push her thought away.

 _What happened at that place to cause Dawn and Dusk so much suffering?_


	7. Chapter 7

**heyo i'm not dead js**

 **just writer's block ;u;**

 **but i'm getting back into this fic so there might be a few more new chapters soon. c':**

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"Watch your step!" White Rose paused beside Forest as he called out to their friends, voice echoing between the trees. "You could get a thorn or two in your paw if you're not careful!"

Gathered behind the two cats, the familiar pelts of the rest of their group were clearly visible against the browns and fading greens of the forest, eyes flashing excitedly with the desire to see what would now be known as their new home. Blue Jay stayed close behind his best friend with Rain Fall at his side, tail constantly lashing back and forth as if he could barely hold back from charging ahead of the others in his eagerness. "A little thorn never hurt anyone." He scoffed. "I don't think anything could stop us at this point anyway."

White Rose gave the blue-furred tom a skeptical look, remembering how Rain Fall's paw had almost become infected from a bramble's thorn due to lack of herbs and constant travel. "It will if it becomes infected and makes you sick." She flicked her tail in frustration. "I don't know where I can gather fresh herbs yet, and there's not much I'd be able to do to help until then."

Rain Fall purred reassuringly at her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure this furball watches for where he's going."

Catching up to them, a silver-and-white speckled she-cat stood under the rays of fading sunlight that made it to the forest floor. "You said that the place you found is only a couple of fox-lengths ahead of here?" Her blue eyes were calm as always, but there was a noticeable note of hope in her mew.

"Yes, we're very close now, Snowstorm." White Rose dipped her head as Moonlight, Tobias, and Tabitha stepped through the undergrowth a few moments later. "Once we get there, we're going to give everyone either the job of fortifying the clearing and making nests for dens, or hunting until night comes. I think we all need a meal and some decent rest."

Forest nodded, confirming White Rose's words. The last of their group appearing behind them, the gray-furred tom flicked his tail. "Alright, let's go, everyone!"

Once again, they all started racing through the undergrowth, White Rose keeping close to Rain Fall and Forest in the lead. She kept them in her line of sight, but let her mind drift away to what had happened just that morning with Dawn and Dusk. They both had such a painful reaction to the place that she had described from her dreams… _Doesn't that mean that it really is real? And close by, if they know where it's at?_ A thought suddenly occurred to her then. _What if the place is in that other group's territory? Is that why they were upset, because they claimed it?_ There were still too many questions, and part of White Rose wondered if Forest really _did_ have a point.

Just thinking about it was enough to form a heavy stone in her heart. _What if my dreams really are just… dreams?_

* * *

Placing her paws over Tabitha's, White Rose guided her movements in weaving another branch of bracken into the unfinished wall. "You do it just like this, see?" She glanced at the brown-and-white she-cat, who nodded back at her in understanding.

"Thanks, White Rose." She meowed gratefully, taking another stick from the pile next to her and beginning the process of adding it to the wall as well. "I think I've got the hang of it now."

Watching for a moment to make sure she was doing it correctly, White Rose then left Tabitha to her work, going back to checking around their new camp for any useful plants or bundled up cobwebs. It seemed that no one had been in this part of the forest for a while, if the lack of easy paths and abundance of undisturbed plant life were any indication. The rest of the cats in the group weaved around one another as they went about the tasks they had been given, some gathering soft moss for nesting areas while others, like Tabitha, used the naturally protective undergrowth to make a sort of barrier around their new home.

The sight did help to make some of White Rose's stress melt away, but she still couldn't keep from thinking about her dreams. Sighing, she glanced over at the wall's only opening for any activity. Regardless of how he had reacted before, she longed to confide in Forest about what had happened with Dawn and Dusk.

But what would Forest do? He had other things to worry about, like making sure everyone in the group was well-fed and sheltered for the coming leafbare. It wasn't like he could leave setting up the camp to everyone else to help her find the place from her dreams – if they could even find it on their own. _What if I looked for it on my own, while everyone else was busy?_ It wasn't late in the day yet; there would still be plenty of time for White Rose to find her way home before it got dark. The thought continued to bite at the back of her mind, like a gnawing hunger that wouldn't go away.

Still hesitant, White Rose quickly examined everyone in the midst of their work. All of them were concentrating and looked determined… surely no one would mind if she slipped away for a little while? "Blue Jay!" She called out to the blue-gray tom, Forest having left him in charge while the rest of their group were out hunting with him. "I'm going to search through this part of the forest to see if I can find good herb gathering spots. You don't need my help right now, do you?"

Giving her a glance from his sky-colored eyes, Blue Jay flicked his ears dismissively. "I think we're set for now, so go ahead. Do you need someone to come with you?"

"No – that's alright." White Rose hastily replied, feeling nervous and guilty for lying to him. "I don't want to take anyone away from what they're doing right now, not when we're so close to having our camp set up."

When Blue Jay nodded, returning to examining the walls, White Rose quickly slipped out the camp's entrance. Where would she even start looking? She focused on her memories of the dream, trying to remember more details of what the area around the stone looked like. She started to walk as she thought, scenting the air distractedly from time to time, but in her mind she was back in that clearing with her nose pressed to the boulder's smooth surface.

Familiar scents tickled her nose after travelling for a short time, and White Rose veered away from the scent trails. She could tell Forest was among them, and didn't particularly feel like explaining – and lying – to him as well. But then she caught wind of something else; a sharp, leafy scent she hadn't smelled in a while. _Goldenrod!_ Eyes widening, White Rose followed the scent until she came across a patch of the herb growing underneath a tree close by. She purred. If anyone ended up with an infected wound now, she felt assured knowing that this was growing so near to their camp. Taking some of the stalks into her jaws, she pulled them from the ground and carried them with her. Now, if she ran into someone from their group, at lease her lie would seem more believable.

Returning to being lost in her own thoughts, White Rose froze to a halt when she felt a sudden drop at the edge of her paws, letting out a slight gasp. A narrow but swiftly flowing stream rushed before her, seeming to mark the edge of this part of the forest. She twitched her tail in frustration. She couldn't remember hearing rushing water in her dream, and seeing the stream just made her feel further from finding the place than ever.

"…ow can I not be scared, Moss?"

White Rose froze, her heart stilling. Faintly, across the stream, she could hear the sound of an unfamiliar mew, full of worry. Listening more closely, she found that she could hear pawsteps as well, and turned away from the shore to hide herself away in the nearby undergrowth. Blood pounded in her ears. That voice… it was hard to remember exactly, but she was sure she'd heard it before.

A few moments later, two cats appeared over the horizon. Both appeared to be she-cats, one a brown tabby and the other a calico, and both pelts still held the marks of healing wounds. White Rose felt her neck fur bristle. They were both cats that she and the rest of the group had fought against only days before. _Please don't notice me, please don't notice me…_

Soon, however, White Rose realized that she had nothing to worry about. The brown tabby – White Rose could recall her name being Birdsong – was clearly too busy thinking about whatever was worrying her to spot White Rose's bright pelt in the shadows of the bushes. Beside her, the calico comfortingly touched her muzzle to Birdsong's shoulder. "Ash is a strong cat, Birdsong. I know you know that better than anyone." She sounded reassuring, but there was no mistaking the darkness in her expression. "He'll pull through this. He has to."

Shrugging her touch away, Birdsong faced the calico, tail bushed and relentlessly twitching. "It doesn't matter how strong he is, Moss! Without any way to treat his infection, how is he going to recover from it?" Her mew cracked, and White Rose felt a stab of pity. Forest may not be her mate, but she could recognize and sympathize with the pain and fear of a cat watching the one they loved most suffering. "I don't know what to do… W-what if he…"

"No, don't say things like that!" Moss shook her head. "He isn't going to die. There's no way! Not after everything he's done for us…"

 _What have we done?_ White Rose felt a new wave of heavy guilt wash over her. She felt sick watching this. These cats were just trying to survive too, and because of them, hunting grounds may not be the only thing they were going to lose.

 _I can't just sit here and do nothing._

Swallowing back the nervous lump in her throat, White Rose padded back out into the open, calling out to the two she-cats across the river. "You have a cat suffering from an infection?"

Both of their heads whipped around to face her, and Moss's hackles raised instantly, her lip curling back in a snarl. " _You!_ " She hissed, stepping in front of Birdsong defensively. "What do you want now?! Haven't you caused us enough suffering?!"

Moving away from behind the calico she-cat, Birdsong met White Rose's gaze. Instead of the anger she was expecting to see, the brown tabby just look tired. Her blue eyes were dull, but were still cautious. "You're part of the group that helped Claw chase us out." Her mew was bitter. "Were you planning to eavesdrop on us?"

Placing a paw on the bundle of goldenrod at her feet, White Rose shook her head in reply. "No, that wasn't my intention at all. I was just… looking for herbs." There wouldn't be any point in telling them she was chasing her dreams either, especially not right now. "I… I know how to heal. At least, enough to treat most illnesses and infections."

"So what, you're here to pity us?" Moss growled, still hostile. "Just leave us alone. You've done enough to us already, what makes you think some pity is going to change anything now?"

But Birdsong seemed to understand what she was getting at, a spark of hope lighting her eyes. "…Are you offering to help?"

White Rose nodded, but Moss stared back and forth between them, fire burning in her amber gaze. "We can't trust you! What if she's just planning to finish off Ash while our backs are turned?"

Calmly, Birdsong gave her companion a grave look. "If we leave him unattended any longer, isn't it just going to end the same way?" Her murmur was tight with pain, and Moss looked away, fur still bristling. The brown tabby turned back to White Rose with an expression of gratitude. "Please, you have to help him. I can see it in your eyes… You have a kind heart. You didn't want this to happen, did you?"

"Never." White Rose swore to her, holding her gaze. Although she wanted to see his condition for herself, she knew that there was no way that Moss would allow her to see where their home was, and truthfully, she didn't blame her. "Tell me exactly what's wrong with him."

Birdsong's paws kneaded at the ground, her blue eyes round with a mixture concern and relief. "It was during the battle… Ash received a very deep bite wound, and I tried to keep him off his leg as much as possible, but he's so stubborn. And then infection started to set in." She sighed. "After that, I forbid him from leaving the den, but it just kept getting worse… Now, he's been running a fever for two days. He can't even stand if he tried."

White Rose nodded, taking note of all of his symptoms. "It definitely sounds like a common infection. Please, give him this." Taking the goldenrod into her jaws, she waded through the shallow waters of the stream and dropped them at Birdsong's paws. "Chew it up and apply it to his wound. Goldenrod is one of the best cures for infection out there. Also…"

She paused, considering her next words carefully. As much as White Rose wanted to help any cat who needed it, there was no way Forest would approve of this. Looks like she'd have to lie for a little longer. "If his fever is still as bad in the morning, or if the swelling in his wound hasn't gone down, come here. I'll be waiting by the riverbank with more herbs, and if you'll allow me, I'll try to treat him the best I can myself."

"Thank you, thank you so much." Birdsong moved closer, pressing her muzzle to White Rose's cheek and purring thunderously. "If I lost Ash, I don't know what I'd…"

"I know." White Rose gentle cut her off, returning the friendly gesture. "I would never want to wish such pain on any cat. I hope I won't have to see you tomorrow, but if I do, I'll be ready for you."

Pulling away, Birdsong gave her one last look full of warmth before Moss jerked her head with a grunt. "This stuff better work, or you'll have to answer to me about it." She muttered. "Come on, Birdsong. We have to hurry."

"You're right." Dipping her head in farewell, Birdsong grasped the goldenrod between her teeth and followed her friend down the slope, glancing at White Rose over her shoulder as they went. White Rose lifted her tail in response, turning and heading in the other direction. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

 _Have I just agreed to something I shouldn't have?_


End file.
